Living in Oblivion

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Living in Oblivion

R

Released Mar 17, 1995

1h 31m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

86%

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36 Reviews

87%

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5,000+ Ratings

Independent film director Nick Reve (Steve Buscemi) is making his first feature. Everything that can go wrong does: the rebellious catering crew refuses to replace spoiled milk, his actors are flaky and getting an unspoiled take is nearly impossible. Tension between lead actress Nicole (Catherine Keener) and actor Chad (James LeGros), who have just slept together, contributes to the many problems on set. As money and time run out, Nick struggles to complete his film.

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Critics Consensus

Living in Oblivion dives into the folly of filmmaking with a sharp satire that sends up indie cinema while working as an entertaining independent picture in its own right.

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Manohla Dargis

Spin

A ten-minute joke stretched to near exhaustion.

Apr 18, 2022

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Anthony Lane

New Yorker

Slight but smart, and it doesn't overstay its welcome.

Jan 10, 2022

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

A hip indie version of Truffaut's Day for Night, Living in Oblivion celebrates the very act of filmmaking as grand folly, a triumph of absurdist heroism.

Rated: A-

Sep 7, 2011

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Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

I cannot praise Living In Oblivion too highly, but I doubt that it will make fifty million dollars the moment it is shown.

Apr 21, 2022

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Tom DeCillo's hilarious comedy about the pain in the ass of independent filmmaking circa 1995 is a hoot.

Rated: FOUR STARS

Feb 27, 2022

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Matt Brunson

Creative Loafing

The segment in which Nick (Steve Buscemi) attempts to film a dream sequence (not unlike the famous one from TV's Twin Peaks) featuring a dwarf named Tito (Peter Dinklage) is worth the rental/purchase price alone.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 28, 2015

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BowTangey M

I had not heard of the film, and was wonderfully surprised by this quirky look at the nitty gritty of indie filmmaking. The cast is full of ringers, led by Steve Buscemi and Catherine Keener.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/22/24

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Alejandro E

Steve Buscemi en unos de sus papeles más notorios, aunque poco conocido. El lado ameno del cine independiente y las dificultades del mismo, desde la óptica del cine independiente. Puede que no sea del agrado de todos, pero vale la pena conocerla.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/08/24

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nick s

I'm not sure if the general public would warm to this film, but if you've ever directed a film crew you'll love it. Although it's a bit close to the bone. From banging the clapperboard in actors faces, self agrandising cast trying to upturn a scene, one thing after another ruining the take. There is another layer too, where the film style itself is a nod to film clichés and blunders. It's a lot of fun. And anything Steve Buscemi in it is worth watching... he's awesome.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/30/24

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ed m

Very funny satire of small time movie making. Buscemi rules!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/23/24

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K B

Uhhhh what is this garbage?

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/24

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dave s

Moreso than probably any other movie, including Day for Night and 8 ½, Living in Oblivion allows the viewer an inside look at the filmmaking process. Nick Reve (Steve Buscemi) is a director working on a low-budget independent film where Murphy's Law seems to be the only law. While dealing with a pretentious cinematographer (Dermot Mulroney), a doltish leading man (James LeGros), and an angry dwarf (Peter Dinklage), Reve needs to figure out how to keep his senile mother (Rica Martens) off the set. Despite a gimmick (without giving away too much) that seems lazy, the cast seems to be having a ton of fun, there are some genuine laughs, and you might just learn a thing or two about how to make a movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Tom DiCillo

Director

Steve Buscemi

Nick Reve

Catherine Keener

Nicole Springer

Dermot Mulroney

Wolf

Danielle von Zerneck

Wanda

James Le Gros

Chad Palomino

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Synopsis

Independent film director Nick Reve (Steve Buscemi) is making his first feature. Everything that can go wrong does: the rebellious catering crew refuses to replace spoiled milk, his actors are flaky and getting an unspoiled take is nearly impossible. Tension between lead actress Nicole (Catherine Keener) and actor Chad (James LeGros), who have just slept together, contributes to the many problems on set. As money and time run out, Nick struggles to complete his film.

Director: Tom DiCillo
Producer: Michael Griffiths, Marcus Viscidi
Screenwriter: Tom DiCillo
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: JDI Productions, Lemon Sky Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 17, 1995, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $48.0K
Runtime: 1h 31m

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